Report: Departing UVA President was Unwilling to Make Cuts

University's board to name interim President Monday

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Outgoing University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan was removed by the university's Board of Visitors last week due to her unwillingness to make program cuts, according to a Washington Post report.

Sullivan is officially due to leave her position August 15. Her resignation was announced June 10.

According to the Post, Sullivan's departure was engineered by Helen Dragas, who became the university's first female rector in 2011.

"Besides broad philosophical differences," the Post story states, "[Dragas and her supporters] had at least one specific quibble: They felt Sullivan lacked the mettle to trim or shut down programs that couldn't sustain themselves financially, such as obscure academic departments in classics and German."

According to the report, on the Friday before Sullivan's resignation was announced, she was informed by Dragas and Vice Rector Mark Kington that 15 members of the Board of Visitors would vote to remove the President.

News of the departure of Sullivan, who became UVA's first female president in 2010, was initially greeted with shock, then anger by the university community. Leaders of the university's Faculty Senate adopted a resolution in support of Sullivan Thursday, while 39 department chairs and program directors sent a formal letter of protest to the Board.

The Post reports that the Board of Visitors will name an interim president at a meeting called for Monday. Prior to that meeting, the Board is scheduled to meet with the executive council of the Faculty Senate, which is itself scheduled to meet at the university's business school Sunday evening.